HOOPS-LOOPS || BINI UNI #1 [MIKHAIAH AU]

Chapter 31: Healing Bonds

The mention of her mother brought a fresh wave of grief, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Mav's mother's expression softened. "I'm sorry for your loss, Miraya," she said gently, putting an arm around Aya's shoulders. "Why don't we go get something to eat? It'll be good to talk, and you're like a daughter to me now."

Aya blinked back her tears, touched by the warmth and kindness in Mav's mother's words. "I don't want to impose," she said shyly.

"Nonsense," Mav's mother said with a warm smile. "You're family, Aya. Come on, let's get out of here for a bit."

The mention of her mother brought a fresh wave of grief, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes.

Mav's mother's expression softened. "I'm sorry for your loss, Miraya," she said gently, putting an arm around Aya's shoulders. "Why don't we go get something to eat? It'll be good to talk, and you're like a daughter to me now."

Aya blinked back her tears, touched by the warmth and kindness in Mav's mother's words. "I don't want to impose," she said shyly.

"Nonsense," Mav's mother said with a warm smile. "You're family, Aya. Come on, let's get out of here for a bit."

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They ended up at a cozy little café in the nearby mall, a place that exuded warmth and comfort with its soft lighting and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.

The atmosphere was soothing, a balm to Aya's troubled heart.

As they settled into a booth by the window, Mav's mother ordered a selection of pastries and two steaming cups of tea.

As they ate, Mav's mother shared stories of Mav's childhood, painting a vivid picture of a lively, determined girl who had always been full of life and passion.

Aya listened with rapt attention, her heart swelling with admiration and a deeper understanding of Mav.

"And then there was the time Mav decided she was going to build a treehouse all by herself," Mav's mother said. "She ended up falling out of the tree and breaking her arm. But that didn't stop her. The very next day, she was out there again, one arm in a cast, trying to finish what she'd started."

Aya laughed, the sound soft and sweet, lifting some of the heaviness from her heart. "That sounds just like her," she said, her eyes shining with affection. "She never gives up, no matter what eh."

Mav's mother nodded, her eyes filled with pride and love. "She's a fighter, that one," she said, her voice filled with warmth.

"And so are you, nak. You've been through so much, and yet here you are, still standing. I admire that about you."

Aya blushed, feeling a swell of gratitude and humility. "Thank you," she said softly, her heart touched by Mav's mother's kindness.

After they finished eating, Mav's mother insisted on giving Aya a lift back to the dorm.

As they walked to the car, Aya felt a sense of peace and comfort, a quiet assurance that she wasn't alone in her struggles.

During the drive, Mav's mother mentioned that she had to stop by Mav's basketball practice to drop off some lunch. "I always make sure she has something healthy," she said with a chuckle. "She gets so caught up in practice that she forgets to eat."

Aya nodded. The thought of seeing Mav again, of perhaps mending the rift that had grown between them, made her heart race.

When they arrived at the court, Mav's mother turned to Aya with a warm smile. "Would you mind taking this to Mav?" she asked, holding out a lunch box. "I think she'd like to see a familiar face."

Aya hesitated, her heart pounding. But then she took the lunch box, her resolve firming. "Okay po," she said softly, her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach.

"Humanda ka sa akin, Mavise Jian Lim."

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